


The Weight of the Ocean

by Whilhelmina_Prince



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Homophobia, Kissing, M/M, bed sharing, teen rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 01:49:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10583898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whilhelmina_Prince/pseuds/Whilhelmina_Prince
Summary: Rhett and Link head off for a vacation  with Rhett's family before heading off to college, but tensions arise when Rhett and Link are forced to share a bed in the same room with Cole and his friend.





	

Rhett opened the door to the bedroom, but before he could get inside, Cole pushed past him. 

“Top bunk!” Cole yelled. Cole’s friend Mark followed quickly behind, shoving Rhett aside and dumping his bags on the bottom bunk.

Rhett peered into the room. “I thought there were supposed to be two sets of bunk beds.” Instead, there was one set of bunk beds and a full-sized bed in the opposite corner.

Link brought up the rear and made his way to Rhett’s side. “What’s the problem?”

“Nothin’.”

Cole hopped down. “Aw, what’s the matter, Rhett? Gotta share a bed with your boyfriend?”

“Shut up, Cole,” Link said. 

“What, Rhett, your scrawny boyfriend has to stick up for you? Big, bad, basketball jock can’t fight his own fight?”

Cole laughed at his friend. Mark was Rhett’s least favorite of Cole’s friends. He would have taken any of his brother’s other friends over Mark. Or none of them, preferably. Cole could be tolerable on his own, but with Mark? The week was going to be awful. 

Link rolled his eyes and put his suitcase on the bed. He started unpacking, carefully placing folded t-shirts into the dresser. Rhett followed suit, doing his best to ignore his brother and his stupid friend.

“Ya’ll got nothin’ to say?” Cole teased.

“No, we don’t,” Link said flatly.

“That’s cause it’s true,” Mark said, laughing cruelly. “Come on, Cole, let’s hit the beach.” 

The two older boys left the room, their laughter intermixed with cries of “so gay.”

Rhett sat on the bed, head in his hands. “I hate him so much.”

Link finished unpacking and joined Rhett on the bed. “I can sleep on the floor if it bothers you, man.”

“No way,” Rhett insisted. “You do that and they’ll just say you’re only doing it to hide the truth or whatever. Screw them. Sleep in the bed. It’s fine.

Back home, Link always slept on the floor at Rhett’s house, at least now that they were older. Rhett’s bed was too small for the two of them. But they stayed in the bedroom to keep away from Cole.

At Link’s house, though, they would gather every pillow in the house and camp out on the living room floor, watching movies and talking until the early hours of the morning. There, nobody bothered them. Sometimes, Rhett would wake up and find Link pressed against him from the back, or perhaps almost nose to nose with him. Most of the time, he would just roll away and go back to sleep. But lately, he found he didn’t mind so much. Link was his best friend and knew everything about him. He trusted him completely. And they were just sleeping. It didn’t mean anything. 

But this was different. Cole and that asshole Mark would be right there, just a few feet away in the bunk beds. 

Still. He didn’t want them to win.

“You sure, man?” Link asked. “I don’t mind.”

“It’s fine,” Rhett insisted. “Anyway, we got more important things to think about. We got a whole week, and we’re adults now, so we can do whatever we want. Mom and Dad will leave us alone. We can just …”

But he had no real plans. College was just a few weeks away now. He just wanted to relax: lay on the sand, play in the waves, explore. And he wanted to do it with his best friend.

“Yeah,” Link agreed. “We’ll hardly see them.”

“So let’s get going!” Rhett said, standing as a smile returned to his face. “Let’s hit the beach!”

It was late when they finally returned. They’d spent the day in the water, pushing each other into waves, daring each other to swim out further, and half-heartedly trying to impress girls on the beach. Mostly, they teased each other about their poor attempts to do so. 

After rinsing in the outdoor shower, they burst into the house like the rowdy teenagers they were and only waved to Rhett’s parents as they passed through the kitchen and back to the bedroom. Cole and Mark were, thankfully, nowhere to be seen.

“Probably out at a bar or something. They’re old enough now,” Rhett speculated. 

“Why couldn’t they just take their own vacation, then? Aren’t they too old for this family vacation crap?”

Rhett shrugged. “My parents paid. I’d take a free vacation. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

They took turns taking proper showers and changed into clean shorts. It was dark and they were tired, but it seemed like a waste to sleep when the night was warm and the air was fresh. Instead, they opened the room’s sliding door and went out onto the balcony of the little beach cottage which sat right on the beach. Crashing waves and the salt in the air provided the perfect ambiance. 

Rhett sat down in a wooden chair and Link draped himself over the railing, long tan arms folded as he leaned out. 

“It’s so big,” he said, gazing out at the ocean. “Kinda scary.”

“Not really. It’s just water.”

“Yeah but … there’s so much out there. So much we don’t know.”

Rhett cocked his head. “Are we still talking about the ocean?”

“Guess not.”

Rhett stood and leaned over the railing, bumping elbows with Link. “What are you thinking about, bo?”

Link sighed. It was a sigh heavy with something, but Rhett wasn’t sure what.

“College, I guess. We’re so sheltered at home, you know? Everybody thinks the same, everybody knows everybody. It’s not gonna be like that at college.”

“That’s a good thing, though.” Rhett’s eyes lit up. “Nobody’s gonna hold us back there. It’s just you and me, and we can be whoever we wanna be. Do what we wanna do. Nobody judgin’ us.”

Link nodded, but didn’t reply. Rhett stayed there at Link’s side, not wanting to walk away, not when Link was anxious. He wanted Link to know that’s where he would always be. They watched the waves tumble for a long time before Link started to yawn.

“Wanna head in?”

“Not really,” Link said. “I kinda just want to stay here, freeze this moment …” His voice drifted off, distant and troubled.

Rhett’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t have the right words. “We should go to bed before Cole and Mark get back. Better to be asleep and not have to deal with them.”

“Yeah.” 

They crawled into bed, Rhett on top of the covers and Link under, and turned back to back. It wasn’t long before Link was snoring softly. But Rhett couldn’t sleep. He was all too aware of Link’s proximity. He could feel the heat coming off his body. If he moved just the wrong way, their toes would brush together. He turned on his back, but he couldn’t sleep that way, so he turned back. 

Just when he thought he might doze off, he heard the floor creaking. He closed his eyes and feigned sleep just as Mark and Cole fell into the room, whispering and giggling, clearly drunk. Thankfully, they climbed into their bunks and were asleep almost instantly.

It seemed like hours later when Rhett finally fell asleep. Link had rolled back and forth at least a dozen times and Rhett had flinched every time, for reasons he couldn’t quite put a finger on. But at last, exhaustion got the best of him, and Rhett’s eyes closed. 

He woke to the smell of bacon frying. He rolled without thinking, but found the other side of the bed empty. He stretched out and closed his eyes, enjoying the space, the warmth of the bed, and the scent lingering on the sheets.

Rhett shook his head at that last thought and instead turning his attention to the crackle of bacon. Breakfast. Breakfast would be good.

He glanced at the bunk beds on his way out the door and was glad Cole and Mark were heavily snoring away. He wouldn’t have to deal with them.

In the kitchen, Link sat at the table drinking a glass of orange juice while Rhett’s mom manned the pan of bacon. 

“Morning, Rhett,” she said, smiling as she started piling bacon onto a plate. “Where are you boys off to today?”

“Dunno,” Link said, taking several slices from the plate she’d set on the table. “Probably just hang out on the beach again.

“Think you can be back for dinner?” she asked. “I’d like for us all to eat together, at least once. Afterall, this might be the last time I get you all together like this. At least for a while.”

Rhett rolled his eyes, but Link, the ever-agreeable son, told her they’d be happy to. 

They finished their breakfast, adding toast and eggs to their plates and scarfing them down, and changed as quietly as they could to avoid waking Cole and Mark.

Back on the beach, Rhett laid out their towels and Link stood at the edge of the water, watching the waves again. There was more bothering him than college. Rhett watched him. Link wrapped his arms around himself and dug his toes into the sand. He said nothing.

After a few minutes, Link turned around, a smile on his face. “Well, let’s hit the water, man!”

They stayed in the water all day, breaking only briefly for a slice of pizza on the boardwalk. As promised, they returned in time for dinner back at the cottage. They were able to shower and dress before Cole and Mark arrived, late as expected. 

Cole and Mark behaved during dinner, and even after when they played cards with Rhett’s parents. There was some good natured teasing and trash talking, but it was actually a fun night, to Rhett’s surprise.

When everyone finally decided to quit, Cole and Mark went back out and Rhett suggested a walk on the beach to Link. They rolled up their pants and headed out, walking just along the water line, letting the water tickle their feet as they walked. 

“You’re awfully quiet,” said Rhett.

Link walked on, hands in his pockets as he shrugged. 

“Anything you wanna talk about?”

Link shook his head and stopped walking. He turned to the water and sat down, letting the water gently roll up and over his feet. Rhett sat beside him and waited. 

A warm breeze floated over them. Link pushed his hair back out of his face. 

“I’m just scared. We’re gonna be out there in the real world, and people expect us to be adults and have things figured out. And we’re gonna be engineers? Is that what we really want? I mean, is that how your picture our lives?” But there seemed to be more he wasn’t saying.

Rhett was silent. He wasn’t focused on the questions Link posed so much as he was on his use of the world “we.” His heart swelled at the idea that it was never just Link or just Rhett. It was Rhett and Link, together. Always.

“I just don’t know if we’re ready for all this, Rhett. I like things the way they are.”

Rhett put his arm around Link’s shoulders. “It’s still gonna be like this, bo. It’s you and me. Whatever happens, I’m still right here. It’s not gonna be scary.”

Link sighed and rested his head on Rhett’s shoulder. “Promise you’re not gonna find a new best friend when we get there? One who’s cooler than me?”

Rhett scoffed. “Hell no. I only look cool because you’re not.” 

Rhett pulled Link in with his arm and gave him a hard noogie, rubbing his knuckles into Link’s hair. 

Link laughed, but struggled until he managed to wriggle out of Rhett’s hold. “Alright, come on. Let’s get back. I’m tired.”

He yawned and let Rhett pull him to his feet. They walked back, not talking, but shoving each other lightly and giggling as they tried to stay upright.

Link was smiling ear to ear, his cheeks pink, when they got back to the cottage.

They undressed and climbed into bed. Rhett didn’t bother to stay on top of the covers. He snuggled in, facing Link. 

“Night, Rhett.”

“Night, Link.”

Link closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly, but fought to keep his eyes open. A beam of moonlight streamed in through the window and danced across Link’s mouth. Rhett watched Link breath and couldn’t help but notice how pink and plump Link’s lips were. He’d never really looked at them so closely before. They looked ... delicious, somehow. 

As he crossed into the space just between awake and asleep, he was hit with the desire to nibble on those luscious pink lips. But sleep took him before he realized what that meant.

Rhett woke in the morning just as the sun peeked through the shades. He was warm, almost hot. When he opened his eyes, he found Link in his arms, perfectly molded to his body, his back pressed into Rhett’s chest. 

He knew he should roll over. He knew this was weird and awkward. But Link’s body was so warm and felt so nice. He nuzzled nose into Link’s hair and inhaled. He still smelled of the ocean, but mixed with his own natural scent. It was so comforting: a scent he knew and could recognize, but never really savored. 

Rhett heard a click and a flash, and Link stirred. Rhett turned around. Cole was on the top bunk with a disposable camera. 

“Look at Rhett with his boyfriend!” Cole taunted. “Aww, aren’t they cute together?”

Mark howled with laughter. 

“Come on, Mark, let’s go get this developed.” 

Cole hopped down from the bed. He and Mark left the room in hysterics. Rhett untangled himself from Link and sat up. He threw the covers back and sat on the edge of the bed, feet on the floor, his back to Link.

Link rubbed his eyes. “What the hell was that about?”

“You didn’t hear all that?”

“Kinda.” 

Link moved to sit next to Rhett. Rhett scooched away, putting distance between them. 

“Don’t do that,” Link said. 

“Not doing anything,” Rhett mumbled. 

Link sighed. It was the sigh Rhett knew meant “fine, I’ll leave it alone for now.” 

“You wanna hit the boardwalk today?” Link asked. “We can buy a bunch of stupid souvenirs.”

Rhett nodded. 

They grabbed a quick breakfast and headed out. They spent the morning shopping. Link bought an airbrushed t-shirt that said “I Love Dolphins” in huge, lurid letters and a pair of blue flip flops. Rhett bought neon orange sunglasses and a bright yellow tank top adorned with palm trees.

They laughed at how stupid they both looked. They looked at hermit crabs and joked about getting one as a pet for their dorm room. 

“We could get a pair and name ‘em Merle and Lionel,” Rhett suggested. 

Somewhere in all of it, Rhett forget about Cole and the picture.

They hit the beach again in the afternoon. They failed miserably at building a sandcastle, but it didn’t really matter. They were together and having fun, and that’s what mattered.

They got burgers for dinner on the boardwalk and stayed out late, playing frisbee in the moonlight on the sand. 

When the finally decided to head in, they were exhausted, covered in sand, and turning a light shade of brown from three days in the sun and not bothering to reapply sunblock.

Rhett checked in with his parents while Link took a shower, and then he headed back to rinse off himself. Just as he turned off the shower, he heard a light knock on the bathroom door.

“Rhett?” Link’s voice was shaky. 

Rhett wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped back into the bedroom. “What is it?”

“What the hell is this?”

Link’s hand shook as he held out the photograph. There was Rhett, arms tightly wrapped around Link, his eyes open and a faint smile on his face.

“That asshole.”

“Rhett?”

“Cole. That fucking asshole!” He yelled as he stormed through the house, but Cole was nowhere to be found. He stomped back to the bedroom where Link sat on the bed, looking down at the picture.

“Rhett …” Link started, but Rhett wouldn’t let him finish.

Rhett looked around the room, desperately trying to figure out what to do or say. But his brain was on overdrive and he couldn’t focus. He was furious at Cole, ashamed of himself, and he didn’t know what to say to Link. 

“I can’t,” he finally said. “I’m … I’ll be outside.” He walked out of the room and out of the cottage and out onto the beach.

He sat down in the sand just outside the cottage, underneath the balcony that attached to their room. Tears rolled down his face. What the hell was happening? All these feelings were so confusing. All he wanted was to have a great vacation with his friend before they started college. And Cole had to go and ruin it.

“No,” he said aloud. “I ruined it.”

“Ruined what?”

He looked up to find Link, arms loaded with blankets and pillows. 

“What are you doing?”

Link shrugged. “Well, I figured, you’re not gonna wanna go back in there with Cole. So I figured we could camp out here for the night. Sleep under the stars.”

Rhett turned his face away. “You can sleep inside if you want. You don’t have to stay here with me.”

Link set the blankets and pillows on the picnic table and knelt next to Rhett. “Yeah, I do,” he said. He turned Rhett’s face toward him and wiped away the tears. 

Rhett looked up into Link’s blue eyes. There was a look there he didn’t know, one he’d never seen before. Maybe it was the moonlight. But no. It was something else.

Link leaned in. He hesitated for a moment, but then moved in, pressing his lips to Rhett’s for just a moment. His lips were soft and tasted like Chapstick. When he pulled away, Rhett stared at him in disbelief. 

The waves crashed. The breeze blew between them. Somewhere, gulls cried. And Rhett’s heart opened. 

He reached out a hand and touched Link’s face, felt the faint stubble, the soft skin. And then he rose up on his knees and kissed Link, slowly, deeply, letting their lips find a rhythm. He felt Link’s hand on his waist, inching downward to his hip.

They parted for air, and Rhett let his forehead rest on Link’s. 

“What does this mean?”

Link sat back on his heels. “I don’t know. But … I liked it.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Link stood and started spreading out a huge blanket on the sand. He put down their pillows and laid another couple of blankets down. He gestured for Rhett to climb into their makeshift bed. 

Link laid down first. Rhett joined him, and they just watched each other for a while. Link was pensive, his brow furrowed. Rhett just felt confused. 

“Is this what you’ve been so worried about?” he finally asked. 

Link bit his lip, but didn’t reply at first. He looked down, not meeting Rhett’s eyes. Rhett tipped his chin up with a finger. 

“You can tell me, Link.”

Link nodded, but it still took him a moment to get the words out. “Yeah.”

Rhett nodded back. Now that he thought about it, really thought about it, it was brewing for him, too. He hadn’t known it, hadn’t recognized it, but all the signs were there.

“So what do we do now?” Link asked. 

Rhett took his hand and held it firmly between them. “I dunno. But in a few weeks, it’ll be just us. We can figure it out as we go.”

Link nodded. His eyes glistened with tears. Rhett leaned in and kissed them away. 

“You wanna go to sleep?”

Link nodded. Rhett rolled onto his back and pulled Link in, letting him rest his head over his heart.

“What if Cole sees us again?” Link asked, his voice quiet and shaky.

“Screw him,” Rhett said. “He wants to call you my boyfriend? Fine. You can be my boyfriend.”

Link looked up at Rhett, his eyes shining. Rhett squeezed him tighter and kissed the top of his head. 

They fell asleep there to the sound of crashing waves, the warm breeze embracing them and the moon smiling down on their love.

**Author's Note:**

> This was edited in a hurry, so please forgive any mistakes.


End file.
